Georgia gets revenge against Yellow Jackets

ATLANTA - It's hard to win on the road against your arch rivals when you set season highs in walks and wild pitches. But Georgia found a way to make it happen.

Freshman Josh Morris hit a looping opposite-field home run over the right-field wall off Brian Burks in the top of the eighth inning Wednesday against Georgia Tech to put the Bulldogs (21-13) up 6-5. The Yellow Jackets (20-15) had the bases loaded with two outs in the bottom of the eighth, but closer Will Startup killed the threat by striking out Mike Nickeas on three pitches.

In the ninth, Startup, who works so fast it's like he's late for a dinner engagement, sent Georgia Tech down in order, striking out Andy Hawranick swinging to end the game and preserve the 6-5 victory.

"When Will gets in tempo like that, you know he's on," Georgia coach David Perno said.

Bo Lanier picked up the win for Georgia after entering the game in the pitching 213 scoreless innings. On the night, the Bulldogs had 10 walks and four wild pitches - both season highs - but that wildness seemed to disappear in the late innings.

Morris, who came a couple of inches short of a game-winning grand slam Sunday against Tennessee, said that he's been working on going the other way, and it paid off against the Yellow Jackets at Russ Chandler Stadium.

"It felt good," said Morris of his 13th home run this season. "I told you I was trying to work the ball the other way and it finally showed up.

"I was just looking for anything in the strike zone and I jumped on it."

After Georgia Tech scored a run in the bottom of the first off starter Johnny Dobbs, Georgia responded in the top of the second with a trio of unearned runs. After a two-out single by Derek Smith, Josh Smith reached on an error by third baseman Wes Hodges. Sammons then hit an opposite-field flare into the right corner that allowed both runners to score.

The next batter, Kyle Keen, hit another ground ball to Hodges, who again booted the play, allowing Sammons to score from second, giving the Bulldogs a 3-1 lead.

The Yellow Jackets cut the lead to 3-2 in the third when Steven Blackwood drew a bases-loaded walk on a 3-2 pitch.

Georgia added to its lead with a run each in the fourth and fifth.

Taking advantage of errant pitches, Georgia Tech scored three runs in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game, the last two coming on Whit Robbins' bloop single into right field.

"Once Bo and Will came in the game, we started throwing more strikes and stopped hurting ourselves," Perno said. "I was confident that we could win, even when we were struggling."

The Bulldogs headed straight to Baton Rouge, La., after the game for a three-game series this weekend with No. 12 LSU.